A Little about your writing
I’ve always been a writer, but it was my children who made me realise it. Bedtime stories always involved the characters Emma, Megan and Scott (my kids’ middle names) getting into all sorts of adventures. “You should write a book Dad,” was said so many times that I thought why not?
I had started and abandoned a YA sci-fi novel many years ago. Writing a book involved a lot more than entertaining three young kids before lights out.
The Legend of Finndragon’s Curse was an idea that came from somewhere buried deep in my subconscious. Now I look back at it, there are many elements of my own childhood. Exploring the ruins and surrounding caves of Morlais Castle, a 12th century castle which was never completed, was a large part of my early years. Many happy hours were spent, either with my Dad or a group of friends.
I only intended to write one book, but it eventually became apparent that two were required, so I left book one on a cliff-hanger and carried straight on with Return to Finndragon’s Den.
Tales of Finndragon is a slightly dark fantasy, suitable for younger and older readers alike. It tells the story of Emma, Megan and Scott’s search for their missing father. They follow the clues found in an ancient scroll and discover the way to the ancient Kingdom of Morgannwg, which was cursed in the 6th century and has never been seen again. It is a tale of wizardry and magic, knights and mythical creatures and is full of surprises. At times a little frightening, with some gruesome scenes, the story is occasionally humorous too.
What genre would you say your writing is?
My genre is fantasy, which you could probably break down into the sub-genre of young adult, epic fantasy.
How has writing changed your life?
The only difference in my life at the moment is that I spend far too much time, usually late at night, chained to my laptop or smart phone. I haven’t been able to write much lately, due to focusing on social networking, promotion and sending query letters to agents. On top of that, I have recently Launched One Thousand Worlds in One Thousand Words, a new fantasy blog giving writers the opportunity to showcase the first one thousand words of their work.
If you were going to read, which format would you choose?
I read exclusively using the Kindle app on my smart phone. It’s compact, goes everywhere with me and I can take every book I own wherever I go.
What is your favourite book ever?
Wow! How can I answer that?
As a child, my favourite book was Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, which I read several times
I studied Brave New World by Aldous Huxley for my O’ level literature exam and was amazed by his imagination. It is a book I keep meaning to revisit, but still haven’t found the time.
The Belgariad and The Malloreon series by David Eddings are the books which gave birth to my love of the fantasy genre, and he is one of the biggest influences.
I loved Making History by Stephen Fry.
What are you reading at the moment?
I have just opened the first page of The Cool, Coal and Black Lightning by fellow Welsh writer John Rogers Prosser.
What is the best piece of writing advice you could give and why?
I’m probably not the person you would ask for advice, but I guess I’ve made enough mistakes to know a few things. I would tell new writers to just go for it. Don’t get hung up on grammar, get your story down first. Then you must EDIT, EDIT, EDIT, EDIT, get some beta readers to read your book and then edit some more. Once you’ve done that, you should probably think about editing.
If you were a dragon, what kind of dragon would you be?
I’d be the cowardly dragon who was too scared to poke his head out of the cave. The one who could never get the barbecue lit, but burnt his mother’s new curtains every time he sneezed.